Colorado senators react to Supreme Court nomination

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals to fill Justice Antonin Scalia’s seat on the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, garnering strong support from one of Colorado’s U.S. senators and a cautious response from the other.

“Judge Gorsuch is one of our country’s brightest legal minds with significant experience as a federal judge and a private litigator,” Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colorado, said in a statement.

Gorsuch serves at the federal appellate court in Denver, and is known as an avid outdoorsman.

“Judge Gorsuch also adds to the court’s Western perspective, with his understanding of uniquely Western issues like water and public lands issues,” Gardner said.

Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet’s office released the following statement: “As a fellow Coloradan, Michael congratulates Judge Gorsuch and his family. He intends to review Judge Gorsuch’s record carefully in the coming weeks.”

Previous rulings by Gorsuch give conservatives faith he would fill the seat with dignity, and that his more moderate views can potentially convince Justice Anthony Kennedy to side with him.

“Judge Gorsuch’s record … shows that he will defend the original intent of our Founding Fathers and preserve the fundamental rights of Americans,” Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, said in a statement.

Colorado Attorney General Cynthia H. Coffman, a Republican, also released a statement:

“Judge Neil Gorsuch is an extremely qualified and well-respected U.S. Supreme Court nominee. He not only has a brilliant legal mind, but has both the experience and the temperament needed to serve on our nation’s highest court. Judge Gorsuch’s deep understanding and reverence of the law will serve him and the American people well.”

Shira Stein is a reporting intern for The Durango Herald in Washington, D.C., and a student at American University. Reach her at sstein@durangoherald.com, and follow her on Twitter @stein_shira.